According to the Global Times newspaper, the restaurant could be fined up to NT$6 million (HK$1.6 million).

Taimali Baishawan serves local fare and caters to more than 10,000 tourists a month, Shanghai Daily said.

Kaohsiung Tourism Association president Huang Chin-hsiang admitted the incident would impact the reputation of Taiwan’s tourism industry and blamed the problem on low-cost tour packages organised by Taiwan and mainland tour agencies.

This is the second scandal in a year involving restaurants in Taiwan serving leftovers to mainland tourists. A noodle eatery was exposed last year.

Mainland visitors to Taiwan hit a record 1.97 million in 2012, up 58 per cent from the year before, according to the Association for Tourism Exchange Across the Taiwan Straits. Half of those mainland visitors were in tourist groups.